Public bathrooms are a fascinating, albeit sometimes gritty way to experience other cultures. A friend of mine lived in Vietnam and said the public toilets were simply a hole in the ground. Another person said the bidets in Europe were so high-pressured, they’d shoot you off the toilet, ejector-seat style. The Japanese-style toilet looks like a men’s urinal, but mounted in the floor. You squat over the thing and do your business, not exactly the most comfortable position to read the Sunday funnies. It’s smelly, hard to balance, and you stand a good chance of ruining your favorite shoes.

Strangely enough, in public bathrooms in Japan, it’s hard to find a way to dry your hands after washing them. Paper towels are practically nonexistent, and only some bathrooms have air-dryers. Most Japanese men simply use their handkerchief after washing their hands, and women keep a small hand-towel stashed in their purse.

If you ever visit Japan and don’t want to use the seat of your pants to dry your hands, I suggest you pack a dainty towel by Kinno Towel Co., Ltd. This Osaka-based company, in the towel production center in Japan, has a 70-year history of producing top-quality towels. They have advanced facilities with the world’s most advanced jacquard weaving looms which produce a fluffy and smooth towel with different textures on each side. The towels in the Nostalgic Memory series feature whimsical illustrations of popular fairytales by designer Shinzi Katoh. These towels are cheerful and cute, whether it’s a full-size towel hanging in your bathroom or a hand towel tucked in your purse. They’ll inject a little luxury into your life, and even make a Japanese-style toilet... well, almost tolerable.

Kinno Towels are on sale at the Felissimo Design House now through Saturday, November 4th.